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Business thrives for hawkers at Indira Park

Stocks sold within a few hours whenever demonstrations are staged at ‘Dharna Chowk’

HYDERABAD: The very mention of ‘Dharna Chowk’ at Indira Park gives jitters to road-users. The chaotic traffic with scores of protestors congregating for agitations has made this ‘chowk’ rather unpalatable for commuters. However, there is a positive fallout to all this mayhem.

The agitations are ensuring brisk business to several vendors staying on the pavement at the park. Even as protestors squat on the main road and raise anti-government slogans for implementing their demands, some of them, invariably, walk to either a tea or tender-coconut stall to quench their thirst. A wide range of food items, including mouth-watering ‘bajjis’, watermelon, tender coconuts, lemon water, cucumber and peanuts are available on the pavement abutting the sprawling park. Even policemen on bandobust duty line up to have a go at them. The food items are also a big draw for those frequenting the park.

Brisk sales

Almost all the vendors managed to sell their stocks within a few hours when Anganwadi workers staged a demonstration a couple of days ago demanding a hike in their wages. “I did a brisk business for the first time since the inception of my business two years ago. One quintal cucumber was sold in just three hours,” said a vendor Mohammed Jahangir.

After cucumbers, the most sought-after edible item is sipping coconut and lemon water. At least 15 such vendors erected makeshift tents catering to the needs of demonstrators.

“It’s an ideal place for selling tender coconuts,” explained another vendor G. Raju. Vendors also claimed that such programmes were providing direct employment to them.